1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bundle-of-electric wire container for storing and conveying a bundle of electric wire used for manufacturing, for example, a wiring harness for an automobile.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a manufacturing line of a wiring harness for an automobile, an electric wire feeding apparatus has been conventionally used for drawing an electric wire from a bundle of electric wire and feeding the same for the succeeding process (the terminal crimping process for cutting the electric wire to predetermined lengths and crimping predetermined terminals in both ends of the cut electric wire).
As an electric wire feeding apparatus for feeding electric wire from a bundle of electric wire, there is provided an electric wire feeding apparatus 20 comprising a circular seat 21, a support 22 fixed to the center of the seat 21, an engaging ring 23 fixed to an upper end surface of the support 22, and a plurality of substantially straight elastic guide bars 24 having their upper ends engaged with the engaging ring 23 and having their lower ends respectively engaged with radial grooves 21a provided for the seat 21, as shown in FIG. 8A (see Japanese Utility Model Examined Publication No. 15886/1990). In addition, the above described Publication also discloses an electric wire feeding apparatus 20 in which substantially straight elastic guide bars 24a and elastic guide bars 24b each having a bent portion are alternately provided, as shown in FIG. 8B. The electric wire feeding apparatuses 20 are so adapted as to insert a center hole of a bundle of electric wire in a loop shape from upper ends of the guide bars 24, 24a and 24b along the guide bars 24, 24a and 24b and unwind the bundle of electric wire from the side of the center hole of the bundle of electric wire to draw the electric wire while preventing the bundle of electric wire from losing its shape on outer peripheral surfaces of the guide bars 24, 24a and 24b.
Furthermore, a variety of electric-wires are used. Bundles of electric wire which are the same in type, diameter and color of electric wire are stored in a shelf or the like in a state where they are stacked in lot of stages where they are bare so in order that they can be easily found and can be efficiently contained. A desired bundle of electric wire is taken out and mounted on the above described electric wire feeding apparatus 20 in use.
However, the bundles of electric wire are stored in a state where they are stacked while bare as described above, and are conveyed bare, to circulate the bundles of electric wire in the manufacturing field. Accordingly, the bundle of electric wire loses its shape and the electric wire located inside of the bundle is made loose during the storage and the conveyance. Particularly when the bundles of electric wire are conveyed in a state where they are stacked in a lot of stages while bare, the bundle of electric wire is liable to lose its shape.
Furthermore, the bundle of electric wire used halfway in a state where it is mounted on the electric wire feeding apparatus 20 and remains by a certain length (the remaining bundle of electric wire), is removed from the electric wire feeding apparatus 20 and stored again in a shelf or the like while being bare. Particularly in this case, however, the bundle of electric wire is liable to lose its shape and the electric wire located inside of the bundle is liable to be made loose.
If electric wires are fed using such a bundle of electric wire which loses its shape, for example, the electric wires drawn from the electric wire feeding apparatus 20 are tangled, for example, resulting in insufficient feeding. The insufficient feeding causes the manufacturing line to be frequently stopped, to decrease the operating efficiency of the line. In addition, the bundle of electric wire loses its shape, resulting in a habit of winding of the electric wire. The habit of winding of the electric wire causes the incidence of insufficient crimping of a terminal to be higher.